Generally, a laundry treating machine means an apparatus for washing, drying, or washing and drying laundry. One laundry treating machine can perform only a washing function or a drying function or can perform both the washing and drying functions. Recently, a laundry treating machine, which includes a steam supplier, to have a refresh function for, for example, removal of creases, odor, static electricity, etc. from laundry, has been available.
Meanwhile, conventional laundry treating machines are classified into a front loading type and a top loading type in accordance with the direction that laundry is taken cut. Also, conventional laundry treating machines are classified into a vertical-axis type, in which a pulsator or a washing tub rotates, and a horizontal-axis type, in which a drum rotates. The representative example of such a horizontal-axis type laundry treating machine is a drum washing machine or a drum drying machine.
Such laundry treating machines have a tendency to have a large size, in order to meet the recent demand of users. That is, laundry treating machines used for domestic purposes have a tendency to have a large outer size.
Generally, only one large-capacity washing machine is equipped in a home. When it is desired to wash different kinds of laundry in an independent manner, using the washing machine, it is necessary to operate the washing machine several times. For example, when it is desired to wash laundry such as adult clothes and laundry such as underclothes or baby clothes in an independent manner, the washing machine operates two times to individually wash the two different kinds of laundry. For this reason, the washing time increases, and the consumption of energy also increases.
Furthermore, it is undesirable to use the large-capacity washing machine in washing a small amount of laundry, in terms of saving of energy, as in conventional cases. This is because the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for the case, in which the amount of laundry to be washed is large, so that the amount of water to be consumed in the washing course is large. Also, a large amount of electricity is consumed because it is necessary to rotate a large-size drum or pulsator. In additional, since the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for the case, in which the amount of laundry to be washed is large, the washing time is relatively long.
Also, the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for general clothes. For this reason, the large-capacity washing machine may be unsuitable for the washing of delicate clothes such as underclothes or baby clothes.
In addition, the large-capacity washing machine is unsuitable in the case in which washing of a small amount of laundry should be frequently performed. Generally, users collect laundry for several days, in order to wash the collected laundry at one time.
However, leaving laundry, in particular, underclothes or baby clothes, without immediately washing them, is undesirable in terms of cleanliness. Furthermore, when such clothes are left for a long period of time, there is a problem in that they cannot be cleanly washed because dirt may be fixed to the clothes.
In this regard, it is necessary to use a small-size washing machine having a capacity much smaller than the conventional large-capacity washing machine. However, where two small-size washing machines are equipped in a home, and they are laterally arranged in parallel, there are problems associated with space utility and beauty, even though the size of the washing machines is small.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional laundry treating machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional laundry treating machine 1 includes a body 10 forming the outer structure of the laundry treating machine 1, and a control panel 11 arranged at the front surface or top surface of the body 10. The control panel 11 may include a controller for controlling the operation of the laundry treating machine 1. In accordance with this configuration, the user enables the laundry treating machine 1 to perform a laundry treating operation such as a washing operation or a drying operation by manipulating the control panel 11.
The laundry treating machine 1 may be a washing machine, a drying machine, or a washing/drying machine.
The laundry treating machine 1 may further include a pedestal 20 for supporting the body 10 on a floor. In this case, the body 10 is laid on the pedestal 20.
In the conventional laundry treating machine, however, the pedestal 20 does not have any function other than the function to support the washing machine or drying machine.